Final Score: Lipscomb: 78, North Florida: 73
Location: Nashville, TN. (Allen Arena)
Records:  Lipscomb: (17-8, 11-2 ASUN), North Florida (6-17, 3-10 ASUN)

THE SHORT STORY

Lipscomb put on another masterful fourth-quarter performance after trailing most of the contest to escape with a 78-73 win at home over North Florida. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Lipscomb wasted no time getting in the score column with an easy layup on the first play of the game by Bella Vinson. 

After a bucket on the other end by the Osprey's, Vinson converted on a corner three to give the Bisons a 5-2 advantage with a little under a minute off the clock.

The Osprey's turned to a full-court pressure, which caused some issues for the Bisons, forcing them into some turnovers. UNF converted on those extra opportunities and went on a 9-0 run. 

After a timeout by Lipscomb, Molly Heard put in a layup to get the Bisons out of their scoring drought on a second-chance opportunity. 

Lipscomb would trim their deficit to four, but UNF pushed their lead to 10 (19-9) on a three-pointer with 2:56 left in the first. The Osprey's carried that lead into the end of the quarter after each team put in a pair, making the end of the first score 21-11. Claira McGowan started the Bisons second quarter push by putting in a three-pointer to cut into the Osprey's lead.   

Then, Vinson followed with six-straight points inside, including an and-one to bring the squad back within two. 

UNF went on an 8-1 run right after to increase their lead back to nine. In the final moments of the second quarter, Vinson buried a three-pointer to get the score within single-digits, but the Osprey's got a jumper to fall off the glass. The bucket made the halftime score 41-31. 

Vinson totaled 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the first half to lead all scorers, but the Bisons shot just 38.5% from the floor as a team. UNF shot the ball efficiently in the first half, going 51.9% from the floor, including a 6-of-11 mark from three-point land. 

The Ospreys continued to pour it on offensively, stretching their lead to as much as 14 in the third quarter. 

Both teams scored a healthy number of points in the quarter, but UNF still held a 64-55 advantage after three frames. Lipscomb began to heat up in the fourth, mounting a monumental comeback. 

Molly Heard gave the Bisons a much-needed spark with a deep ball in the fourth, bringing the Ospreys' lead down to four with 8:55 to go in the fourth. 

Pearson knocked down two free throws to bring the squad within two a minute later.  On the next possession, Bella Vinson scored on a layup, capping off a nine-point swing that tied the game. 

After a quick layup by the Ospreys on the other end, Claira McGowan buried a three-pointer from the corner to give the Bisons their first lead since early in the first quarter.

Lipscomb executed on their next two offensive possessions while continuing to get stops defensively and stretched their lead to five with 5:04 left. 

Each team traded buckets for the remaining time, but the Bisons managed to hold on to their five-point advantage and complete the fourth-quarter comeback for a 78-73 final score. 

The Bisons forced UNF to 4-of-15 shooting in the fourth quarter for a total of nine points, the Ospreys' lowest-scoring quarter of the day. 

HERD NOTES

• Vinson reached the 20-point mark for the second-straight game, going for 26, two points shy of her career-high.
• Holcomb finished with a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. 
• McGowan and Heard reached double figures with 16 and 11 points, respectively. 
• Lipscomb shot 48.2% from the floor and also hit eight triples. 
• The Bisons won the battle on the boards 38-32. 

UP NEXT

Lipscomb will head back on the road for a battle with first-place FGCU on Thursday, Feb. 16. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. CT.